Cinderella
by Nosraff
Summary: Ch. 2 uploaded! × Lord Gilmore's wife dies in childbirth. When his daughter turns ten, he marries a new woman. Cinderella's tale without any main changes in the plot. All I did was adding some background and details. Hope you like it. R&R, please!
1. 1 Coming and Going

Cinderella

1. Coming And Going

Prattle was flowing in the Castle. Men and women dressed in lush, colourful clothes of silk and velvet chatted and laughed happily in the great hall, occasionally stopping the maids that hurried up and down, carrying clean linen and bowls of hot water, asking them, then letting them continue their work. Everyone was having a good time, but as the time passed, they seemed to lose their interest in the reason they were there, at the Gilmore castle. Finally, round midday they streamed into the dining hall where they had lunch. 

The castle seemed to become suddenly quiet, abandoned. Only one man, a young, kind-faced gentleman remained int he hall, walking up and down, frowning. He was the only one, who hadn't taken part in the chatter of the others, and now refused to have lunch with them. Finally, as if coming to a decision, he halted, ran his fingers through his hair, then turned to the opposite direction and headed towards the Eartern wing. He was the head of this house, and his name was Hamgar, earl of Gilmore.

Meanwhile, in one of the opulently furnished rooms of the Eastern wing, a young woman was in labour. Her golden hair was matted with sweat, her face red and tired. She breathed heavily as spasms shook her slender body, and her moanes filled the room. She was surrounded by at least half a dozen midwives and a man who must have been the doctor. 

„Hot water, please" he called now „I need some more hot water". He examined the woman, and the infant yet unborned, then he looked up and he whispered to one of the women standing beside her "it's still lieing the wrong way". His face suddenly seemed old and grey. 

"But she's getting weaker with every minute" the midwife whispered back. The lady's moans were getting louder and more painful.

"I know. I'm trying to turn the infant, but I'm afraid if this goes on for another hour, she might not have the strenght to give..."

But then the door was banged open and the earl stormed in.

"How is my wife?" he asked urgently. What's happening? Why haven't the baby born yet? Nobody tells me anything!"

"My lord, I have to warn you to leave this room! Being the gentle lord you are, and the father of this baby, you're still not allowed in here, and I have to forbid you to stay. Please, my lord, would you leave the room?

"I'm staying here! I can't stand this tension anymore! I want to know what's going on!"

The doctor exchanged looks with the midwife, then said "My lord, I can assure you, everything is all right. It happens, that... that the first child comes a little slower, and this time might seem to be..."

He was interrupted by a long and loud shriek from the mother again. HE bowed his head, and as he spoke, his voice was quivering. "As I was telling you, this is..."

But the earl wasn't listening anymore. He leapt to the bed of his wife, sweeping the nurses aside, grabbed her hand, and murmured "I'm, here, Laditte, I'm here, darling"

The lady's eyes opened, and her white lips formed a weak smile.

"I love you, Laditte. You and our child. the doctor says this will finish soon, and you will recover in a few weeks' time. THen we will hold a great ball, invite everyone from the court... just bear this for some more time..." his voice died away. Laditte smiled again, this time even weaker, and a single teardrop slided down on the earl's face. He stood up and without turning his head, he said to the doctor he would wait outside.


	2. 2 The New Wife

**Cinderella**

[author's note: as English is not my mother tongue, grammatical and spelling mistakes are bound to turn up. Please ignore them just as I do :-)))]

**2. The New Wife**

Ten years passed since the birth of Hamgar's and Laditte's daughter. Ten years since the death of the mother, who only lived long enough to name the baby Cielle. The earl of Gilmore was in deep grief ever since. Once his fields were well tended, now weeds took over, and the crop became so 

few that famine threatened; once his towns were clean and prosperous, now they were dirty, sad and abandoned, and grass started to grow in the gaps between the cobbles; once the young lord barely left the castle, now he went on long journeys in order not to live in the home that was now as miserable as he was. He was often seen wandering on the seashore, alone. He thought these 

times, he as almost as dead as his late wife, only he wasn't buried, but walked on this earth as a ghost of his past self.

His daughter, Cielle was being brought up by the maids of the castle, in especial Nan, and aged, kind hearted woman who used to be the wet nurse of Cielle's mother. She was the only one who told Cielle what her mother was like, for the earl forbade everyone to speak his wife's name in his castle. Nan, however, durst his wish, and recounted Laditte's childhood, the day she met her 

husband-to-be, and with eyes filled with tears, the day when she gave life to her daughter, and ended her own.

Not that Hamgar didn't care about his daughter. When she became old enough, he hired the best teachers to teach her to read, write, dance and everything a lady in her position needed to know. But the child resembled her mother so much, that it caused him enormous pain to see her. He usually met her only for a few minutes. He didn't know what to say to her.

"You grew so much since the last time I saw you... you're almost a real lady. Yes, a lady indeed... Are you all right, Cielle? Are you happy?"

"Yes, I am happy, father" she always answered.

"Do you have any wish? Anything you would like?"

"No, father. I have everything I need, thank you very much."

He even dined alone, in the enormous, dark dining hall, at the huge table at which 200 people could sit, with a single candle giving light.

Cielle knew no other way of living. She never had a mother, and even if her father was alive, she never knew what a father was, either. She didn't lie to Hamgar when she said she was happy: she lived in a beautiful castle, wore marvellous dresses, loved all the things she was being taught, and when her lessons were over, she was allowed to play in the park among the beautiful flowers 

beside the little lake. However she did miss the sad master of the castle, and longed for the awkward kiss he gave her on the forehead every time they met.

She was in the park on that sunny day as well. It was early June, and the red roses seemed to have caught fire as the last rays of the sun lit thruogh them. A gentle breeze swept by, and the flowers bowed to each other and to Cielle, who was lieing on the ground, watching the odd-shaped clouds. They were expecting her father every minute. And yes, Cielle noticed a plump figure emerging at the small iron gateand hurrying in her direction.

"Lady Cielle, lady Cielle, he's here" Nan, for it was her, cried out, then, when she reached her young mistress, she dropped down herself on the grass beside her, being short of breath.

"Who? My father?" the girl asked anxiously.

"Yes, yes, the earl. He arrived a minute ago, and ordered the maids to clean the bedrooms. He arrived with a beautiful lady and two misses of your age. The rest of the guests will arrive tomorrow, and in the evening a ball will be held."

Cielle's heart dropped. She somehow felt worried about that beautiful lady. And his father, who even refused to be with those who loved him, held a ball?

"Who is that lady?"

"I don't know, dear... I was sent to find you. You will meet them at dinner, so you will have to have a bath, and wear your prittiest clothes. Come on, we don't have much time."

Beautifully dressed and her hair combed, Cielle thought she was dreaming when the white-gloved valet opened the door leading to the blue parlour for her. The blue parlour, like most of the rooms in the castle, was not since she was born.

She stepped inside, her eyes sweeping across the room. Right in front of her, there sit the lady with her daughters. She was truly beautiful. She was tall, but not frail at all. Not that she was fat by any means, but she seemed to be healthy and strong for the first sight. Her hair was wonderfully long and opulent, shiny black like black silk, her lips full and red, her nose straight, and her eyes like two blackbeetles. Her dress was of deep blue velvet emphasized the pearly whiteness of her skin. Beside her sit her daughters; both of them resembled their mother very much, except that while the mother was smiling a (rather forced) smile, they did not bother to hide their disdain. At the sight of their clothes, Cielle felt hers were old and childlike.

Then she noticed her father. He was standing by the window, but when he heard the door opening, he turned, and hurried forward, to kiss his daughter on both cheeks. Even this was something strange and new; her father has never been so free to show his emotions.

"Cielle, my dear. How nice to see you!" he exclaimed, and as the girl could judge, he was at least ten times happier that ever before. "Cielle, let me introduce you Lady Ursella de Pennifond..." he continued, bowing to the sofa, where the three strangers sit, "...a lady who... means much to me. And beside her are her daughters, Noleana..." he nodded towards the elder girl, "... and Sareen."

Cielle bowed in return. 

"Ah, my lord, she's charming" Lady Ursella exclaimed in a smarmy tone. "Noleana, Sareen, kiss your new sister"

Cielle's eyes widened, and as the two girls stood up, she automatically stepped back, gasping. "Their new _sister_?" she whispered in disbelief, trying to catch hold of her father's eyes. He looked back with an expression of guilt, and muttered:

"Cielle, I've told you lady Ursella means a lot to me. I've spent the last two months at the King's residence, and that was where I've met her and her sweet daughters. You were probably informed that a ball is being held tomorrow. Well, the reason for celebrating is that I will marry Lady Ursella tomorrow morning at a private ceremony."

"Don't be worried, darling. I can promise you to be your perfect mother" the lady added, still smiling.

"Stepmother, you mean" Noleana corrected her mother.

"Ah, yes, thank you for correcting me, dear" she turned to her, but the flash of her eyes told her: _I will deal with you, my dear daughter. Later._

The wedding ceremony was private by any means. Noone but the vicar, the earl, lady Ursella, Noleana, Sareen, Cielle and the servants were present in the little chapel of the castle. the lady looked, if it was possible, even more beautiful than on the previous night. Her dress was made of the purest white silk, covered with frills and pearls as big as a peanut, and she wore the diamond 

medallion that used to be Hamgar's mothers. Eyes were filled with tears of joy, and when the bridegroom kissed his beautiful bride, everyone, even Nan clapped and cheered. Only Cielle felt as if she'd been hit very hard in the stomach.

Then guests for the ball started to stream in, and the little girls - now sisters - were sent to their room. It was the new wife's order that from now on, they had to share one room, in order to "get more close to each other". 

And after spending several hours with them, locked up in the same room, Cielle could tell one thing: she definitely didn't like her new stepsisters.

"Is this our room?" Noleana, the elder one asked in disgust " And is it true we have to share it with that little... Mother must be joking."

"Yes, I don't believe this will last long. Maybe she wants to restore some rooms for us. The state this place is in is unbelievable. And look at my hair! That dumb maid simply did not understand what I told her. Look at these" Sareen seized some tresses from her neatly combed hair "would you call these locks? Well I wouldn't." she trew herself on a chair, sulking.

"At least our clothes are decent. Do you remember that... Cielle or whatever her name is...the way she was dressed..." they both giggled, ingnoring the fact that the target of their jokes was in the room as well.

"I've never seen such clothes in my life! So old and shabby, she must have inherited them form her great grandmother! And her hair, too... remember lady Caroline telling mother the other day how ugly auburn was?" 

"No, Sareen, your memory is as bad as possible, but that is, I must say, normal. Lady Caroline said red was an unacceptable hair colour, in which she was perfectly right." Noleana said, whose hair colour was only shades darker than Cielle's. "Auburn, on the other hand, is very fashionable, but the thing is, that her hair is merely common brown. I don't know who her mother was, I bet a village girl who made her luck marrying thearl of Gilmore."

During this conversation Cielle was hiding in a corner, trying not to listen to it, and trying not to be seen. She never felt so miserable in her life. It was true noone, with the exception of Nan, has ever liked her, but she also never knew what was it like to be haten. She fought back her tears and examined the tapestry on the wall with all her strenght. She wanted to stand up and defend herself, of course, but at the moment she felt too weak, too vunerable for it. So she simply watched her stepsisters taking over the room.

Servants came, one after the other, carrying trunks and boxes and chests filled with clothes for Noleana and Sareen. One after the other they took them up, tried them on, than trew out half of them, and ordered the two maids where to put the rest. When it turned out that the cupboard in the room is not big enough to store them all, a second one was installed. The room now looked 

crowded and too small even for one person to live in.

But then, at last, the time for the ball came. It took Noleana and Sareen a whole hour to find out what to wear. Than they started to jabber about stupid, slow maids who don't know their own duties, and then, finally they left the room. Cielle was stated to be too young for the ball (however it was out of question that Sareen, who was only a year older, would stay in their room as well), but now she didn't mind that at all. All she wanted now was some peace and rest, to be left alone so that she could cry a bit.

And just as her tears started to flow, someone appeared in the dark room. It was a woman, judged by her footsteps. Afraid, that one of her new enemies might find her crying, Cielle wiped her face and lit a candle. But it wasn't Noleana or Sareen - it was Nan.

"Oh Nan..!" she cried, and ran to her, hiding her face in the maid's apron. But then misery was overtaken by a new emotion - anger. "Why my father married this woman? Why he had to do it? I hate these girls, I hate them! They're picky, evil-tongued, spoiled and wicked! If they despise this castle so much then why did they come here?! Noone invited them!"

Nan said nothing, she just stroke her little mistress' head. After all, what could she say? That her new mistress was, if it was possible, even pickier, even more evil-tongued, spoiled and wicked? That Lady Ursella dishonoured her on the very day of her wedding in front of her fellow-maids, telling her how to put clothes into the cupboards? As if she hadn't known...! But should she tell all these to this child? The sudden marriage of her father was enough for her... 

"This was only their first day here" she said finally. "The castle, the servants, and you, these seem to be a bit strange for them now. Wait till their make themselves at home."

"They already did." Cielle remarked sourly, looking around in her room, where every single spot was filled with the other girl's posessions.

"Look at the bright side of it. Now that your father is married, he will surely spend more time at home. You still have him, and me. Don't let those harpies take you down!"

_No, I won't let them take me down. If they're evil, I'll show them I can be one as well_ she thought.

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author's note: if you liked the story, please review it. If you don't, do the same :-))


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